


If You Don't Wake Up

by writerstrash



Series: Mr. Stark & His Kid [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Irondad, Other, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, spiderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-19 11:49:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19356457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writerstrash/pseuds/writerstrash
Summary: Tony wakes up after taking a bad hit and realises how much Peter cares.





	If You Don't Wake Up

Each time Tony went out in the suit, he knew he had a good reason to come back home. Pepper. 

The love of his life. The person he couldn't live without. The first and last person on his mind every single day. Her smile, her laugh, her smell, her touch. Tony thought about Pepper in every battle he fought and in every moment he came close to losing. But if he died, Pepper would be okay. Pepper would mourn and continue living. She had the company to run, she had family, she had Happy. She would be safe and taken care of, Tony was sure of it.

But Tony never expected another person to come along in his life that he would have to think about like that. Someone who would rely on him staying alive. Someone who's life would be altered by him not coming home. Someone who would love him.

Peter Parker.

He should have known.

When Tony awoke to the familiar beeping of a heart-rate monitor, he knew his last mission had gone a little wrong. He remembered the missile heading toward him, he even remembered being hit. He just didn't remember a single thing after that. The suit took the brunt of the hit, saving his life, just like he designed it to. But that didn't mean Tony would come out unscathed. 

"About time," 

Tony moved slowly to face the voice, a small sigh escaping his lips as his lips turned up into a smile.

"Good morning," he slurred, reaching out toward Pepper.

The woman sat by his bedside, a stack of files by her feet. She looked like she had been working in that chair for days. Coffee cups surrounded her and her heels were kicked off under the seat. 

"Good  _afternoon_ ," she corrected, leaning forward to press a kiss to his lips, taking his hand in her own. "You promised you wouldn't scare me like this again,"

"Wasn't...wasn't in the plans," he huffed, suppressing a yawn.

"It never is," she whispered. "You know how lucky you are, don't you?"

"To wake up to this everyday? Mm, yeah, I'm lucky," he smiled, kissing her hand.

Pepper smiled, shaking her head.

"You've got three bruised ribs, by the way," she explained. "Fractured leg and wrist, too."

"Feels about right," he winced, letting out a gasp.

"Don't be too loud, he only just fell asleep," 

Tony's eyes darted around the room, searching for 'he', before landing on Peter. His arms were crossed over the end of the bed, right by Tony's feet, with his head nestled on top. His lips were parted and Tony could hear his heavy breathing now, along with the glistening proof of drool beginning to seep onto his sheets. Peter was in a hoodie and an old pair of jeans, the sort of outfit he would wear to the lab most afternoons. He looked peaceful. Exhausted, but peaceful. 

The idea of Peter seeing him like this instantly made Tony's heart ache. This was the last thing Peter needed to see. 

"What's he doing-"

"If you're going to ask why he's here, I will actually hit you," Pepper warned.

"He should be at school, right? How long was I out?"

"One day. He took the day off, wanted to be here in case you woke up," she explained. "Are you honestly surprised?"

Tony's heart felt so tight.

"He's been here the whole time?" he asked, softly, not wanting to wake the teen.

"The whole time," Pepper sighed. "I told him I'd call him if you woke up or anything changed, but he didn't want to leave. He read you the paper this morning when I went out for a while, you know?"

Tony grinned.

"I thought I could hear his voice," Tony admit. "Thought I was just dreaming."

Tony watched him, enjoying the rise and fall of Peter's chest and the warmth spreading on the bed from his heavy breaths. He was a good kid. The best kid Tony knew. His kid. Being a father had not been on the cards for Tony, in fact it terrified him to this day, but with Peter his care outweighed all of that. Peter being safe, being cared for, being loved - that came before anything else in Tony's mind.

Everything that scared him about being a father was still there. His worries never left him and he never truly felt competent or worthy enough to have that bond with Peter, but he did. 

"I'm gonna go let the doctor know you're awake," Pepper whispered. 

"Can you just give us a minute before I have to be poked and prodded?" Tony asked.

Pepper gave him a soft smile.

"Okay, but you're getting checked over whether you like it or not," 

"I promise I'll play nice," he smiled back.

With another kiss, Pepper left the two to sit in silence. 

Tony watched him for another minute before he figured he should probably wake him. It was a shame, considering he had just fallen asleep, to disrupt how comfortable and peaceful he seemed. But he was sure Peter wouldn't want to be asleep when the doctor came barging in.

"Pete," Tony called out softly. "Hey, kid, wake up,"

The boy groaned, rubbing his face into his arms to comfort himself back to sleep. He looked like a small child, unwilling to wake from a nap, until he laid his eyes on Tony. The blood-shot, sleepy gaze hit Tony harder than any pain he was already feeling.

"Mr. Stark?" he grumbled, waking, realising. "Mr. Stark!"

Tony smiled.

"You'll never call me Tony, will you?"

"Oh my god!" 

Before he could continue talking, Tony had an armful of Peter. The boy wrapped himself around Tony and hugged him close, and he could feel Peter's tremble throughout his whole body. Nerves. Anxiety. Worry.

"I'm alright, kid," Tony assured, wrapping an arm around his back. "It's okay,"

"Y-you weren't...y-you looked-"

"I'm still kicking," he sighed. "Look at me, hey, Pete,  _look_ at me," 

Peter pulled back, eyes wide and distressed, staring back at the man.

"I'm here, I'm okay," Tony promised.

The boy stared at him as if he needed more convincing. Tony was here, he was alive, he was okay. Peter could feel his warm skin beneath his hand, could feel him breathing beneath where he practically laid on top of the man. Right on top of him. A man in a hospital bed.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Peter gasped, jumping up. "I-I totally didn't even think, oh god, did I hurt you? I'm sorry Mr. Stark!"

"I'm fine," Tony shook his head. "You need to take a breather, kid, seriously. Everything's fine. Calm down, okay?"

"I just...I s-saw you and I thought you were d-dead," Peter admit. "I saw it happen, I was  _there_ , I heard your suit breaking,"

Now Tony's heart was breaking, too.

"I designed those suits to withstand a hell of a punch, kid," Tony assured. "I might get a little banged up, but they protect me. I'm okay."

"You could have died," Peter shook his head. "I thought you...I didn't know if you were gonna wake up,"

"I always wake up, eventually," he smiled.

"Well what if you don't next time?" Peter snapped. "How are you not bothered by this? You've been out cold for over 24 hours, Mr. Stark. And you think I'm stupid for thinking you were gonna d-die or that I'm worried-"

"I do  _not_ think you're stupid, Peter-"

"Yes you do! Look, I know the suits are tough, I know you built them that way, but when I saw you get hit and go down..."

Tony let Peter yell, he let him vent all of his frustration, and he let him trail off into silence as he gathered his thoughts. He could see just how worked up the boy was, and how exhausted he was because of it. He needed a good night's rest just as much as Tony did.

"What am I supposed to do...if you...if you don't wake up?" Peter asked, softly.

Tony could feel his stomach churning at that. His heart was growing tight, a lump rising in his throat.

"Peter..."

"I know I'm just some kid you help out, and you're  _you_ and there are so many important people you have and I'm just Peter, but I..." the boy took a deep breath, letting his eyes fall to his feet. "I can't...I don't want to lose you, Mr. Stark."

Tony couldn't even form words, but he had to. He had to let Peter know.

"Peter, you're not just some kid," he shook his head. "You're my...you're  _my_ kid, you know? I'm not great at being a role-model or looking out for people or making the right call, but I care about you like...like a son, okay? I know I'm not your family, Pete. But you're mine."

Peter's eyes were welling with tears as he looked up at the man, and he couldn't help but lean back into his embrace. It wasn't as rough this time, not as desperate, but Peter needed to hug Tony. He needed to feel his arms around him, his warmth, everything about him. 

"You _are_ my family, Mr. Stark," Peter told him. "And I don't have much of that left. So when you get hit, I really need you to wake up."

Tony had both of his arms around Peter and pulled him close.

"Okay," he whispered. "Okay, kid."

 

 


End file.
